In Brief
Remembering Dr Kerri Parnell, a passionate champion of GPs
PAUL SMITH TRIBUTES are flowing in for Dr Kerri Parnell, Australian Doctor’ s former editor, who died last week from breast cancer aged 61.
Dr Parnell, a leading figure in medical publishing, combined a deep passion for general practice with a larger-than-life personality, a love of fun and warm-hearted mischief. She spent more than 15 years with Australian Doctor, becoming its editor-in-chief.
She had little tolerance for the traditional medical hierarchy, particularly when, through arrogance or ignorance, it failed to grasp what general practice was all about.
In 2010, the RACGP awarded her a Life Fellowship for her“ tireless advocacy” for the specialty.
Former RACGP president Dr Chris Mitchell said last week:“ Kerri was an amazing person. I think everyone who knew her loved her.”
Dr Parnell graduated from medical school in 1985, obtained her RACGP fellowship in 1992 and practised as a GP in Sydney. In the late 1990s, after being invited as a grassroots GP to an Australian Doctor focus group, she was offered a job as a GP consultant.
Her editorials reflected her personality. They were eloquent and
MICHAEL WOODHEAD LANCET Low uptake of bowel cancer screening means that 25,000 avoidable deaths will occur over the next two decades, researchers say.
With 61 % of people ignoring the invitations to screen with the mailed-out faecal immunochemical tests, there is a need to improve participation rates for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program( NBCSP), they write in the Lancet.
The current screening uptake of
39 % is predicted to prevent 92,200 cases and 59,000 colorectal cancer deaths up to 2040, according to the report by the Cancer Council.
“ However, we could avert an additional 24,300 cases and 16,800 deaths if participation increased to 50 % or an additional 37,300 cases and 24,800 deaths if participation increased to 60 %,” says Professor Karen Canfell, director of research at Cancer Council NSW and chair of the cancer screening and immunisation
incisive, but were rooted in her belief in the importance of general practice. One memorable article, written in 2006, was a damning indictment of the media’ s silence after the death of Dr Khulod Maarouf-Hassan, a Melbourne GP who was stabbed to death in her practice by a patient.
“ I felt as if a distant member of my family had been killed,” she wrote.“ This story appeared on page 42 of the Sun Herald, underneath a story about Minto public school students going to school in their pyjamas to participate in a reading challenge.”
Attacking the media’ s indifference, she said:“ GPs don’ t usually win medals or receive awards for the lives they’ ve saved or the brave acts they’ ve performed and we don’ t want them. But most of us will do both of these throughout our working lives.”
Poor bowel screening means 25,000 deaths
committee at Cancer Council Australia.
“ Even a modest increase in participation in the program will have an enormous impact on the burden of disease over the next 25 years,” she adds.
The Department of Health is currently running a campaign to encourage GPs to promote bowel cancer screening in primary care. Practices are being urged to display brochures and posters and
‘ GPs don’ t usually win medals or receive awards for the lives they’ ve saved or the brave acts they’ ve performed.’
— Dr Kerri Parnell, former editor of Australian
Doctor
Dr Parnell was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer nearly 10 years ago. She continued as she always did with the same passion. Her strength, courage and sense of humour never left her.
In 2015, she left to become the editor-in-chief of the Medical Republic.
As Dr Mitchell said last week:“ Kerri will remain forever in our hearts. She will be deeply missed.”
to talk to patients aged 50-74 about bowel cancer screening.
GPs and practice nurses can also help by demonstrating how to use a screening kit and by sending letters to 49-year-olds to encourage participation in the NBCSP.
The most recent evaluation of the NBCSP showed an 8 % positivity rate, with confirmed or suspected cancers diagnosed in one in 29 of those who had a follow-up assessment. Lancet 2017; online.
In Brief
Staff writers
Emergency contraceptive ads get the go-ahead
DIRECT-to-consumer advertising will be permitted for the over-thecounter emergency contraceptive ulipristal( EllaOne) from February 2018 because lack of awareness is limiting its use in preventing unwanted pregnancies, the TGA says. Advertising and promotion via websites and social media would serve to raise awareness of emergency contraception and help reduce the 200,000 unplanned pregnancies and 80,000 terminations a year, a TGA advisory committee concluded.
Women stopping tamoxifen over side effect mix-up
WOMEN at high risk of breast cancer are stopping tamoxifen because they are mistaking symptoms of menopause for side effects of the drug, according to a study. Rates of nausea, vomiting, hot flushes and gynaecological symptoms were largely similar between women taking placebo and those taking tamoxifen in a trial of more than 3800 women, said researchers from Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, NSW. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2017; online.
Travel insurers to offer pre-trip GP teleconsults
PEOPLE who buy travel insurance will be given free pre-travel GP consultations over the phone, insurer Cover More has announced. Travellers will get a full assessment from a doctor who specialises in travel medicine, covering their medical history, travel plans, destinations and recommended immunisations. The doctor can issue any prescriptions the traveller may need ahead of their holiday and refer them to their regular GP if they need to see them before they travel, the insurer says.
Double dose of paediatric vax used to tackle adult hep B shortage
The unprecedented workaround follows GPs calling public health units for advice.
RADA ROUSE A SHORTAGE of adult hepatitis B vaccines on the private market is worsening, leading to health authorities endorsing use of a double dose of the paediatric formulation to meet demand.
The unprecedented workaround follows GPs calling public health units for advice on what to do with health workers who require hepatitis B vaccination to take up clinic placements.
“ Some GPs raised this issue, and that’ s why we’ ve provided the information to allow [ healthcare staff ] to be vaccinated,” says Dr Vicky Sheppeard, director of NSW Health’ s communicable diseases branch.
GlaxoSmithKline’ s hepatitis B vaccine Engerix has been in short supply as a result of a“ precautionary halt” in manufacturing earlier in the year. This has lead to increased demand for the Seqirus product, H-B-Vax II.
But hepatitis vaccines provided under the National Immunisation Program are unaffected by the shortages, authorities stress.
For the private market, it is now being recommended that a double dose of the paediatric formulation of H-B-Vax II( 2 x 0.5mL dose) can be used for adults but only while the shortage lasts.
Switching mid-course between monovalent hepatitis B vaccine brands is not routinely recommended, but is“ acceptable under the current circumstances”, advises SA Health.
However,“ switching midcourse between monovalent and combination vaccines is not recommended”.
For patients starting a primary schedule, an alternative is to offer the adult combination hepatitis B and hepatitis A formulation, GSK’ s TwinRix.
“ TwinRix would be a good choice for many younger people because of prospective future travel,” Dr Sheppeard says.
However, GSK has flagged that there will be intermittent shortages of Twinrix Adult in July.
“ We understand that this may be distressing for those who are not covered by government programs and who may be required to vaccinate themselves for occupational reasons or because they are planning on travelling,” the company told Australian Doctor.
www. australiandoctor. com. au 7 July 2017 | Australian Doctor | 3